Cribbage board



Dec. 2, 1952 w L N 2,620,131

CRIBBAGE BOARD Filed Sept. 26, 1949 PIC; 11.

4" TY/ w i INVENTOR HERMAN W- MELL I N6 34mm v PflL ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRIBBAGE BOARD Herman W. Melling, Jackson, Mich.

Application September 26, 1949, Serial No. 117,896

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tally boards used for score keeping in connection with games, and more particularly to cribbage boards.

In the well-known game of cribbage, the score for the individual game is kept on a tally board by means of a number of pegs or counters which are moved successively around a pair of tracks composed of apertures into which the pegs may be inserted. The usual cribbage board provides, for each player, a track comprising 30 peg position holes on the first street and 30 holes parallel thereto and constituting the second street. As each player scores his points on his own track, the foremost of the two pegs on the street indicates the total score of the player. Upon scoring additional points, the rearmost peg is moved to a position ahead of the foremost peg equal to the number of points scored, the rearmost peg then constituting the foremost peg and indicating the total score of the player. Since a single game of cribbage requires the scoring of 120 points, it is necessary when using the ordinary cribbage board for each player to make two complete circuits of the track.

The objections to and difliculties with the ordinary cribbage board are legion, but one of the most important is the fact that the pegs or counters are frequently lost or mislaid; soon broken match sticks replace the pegs provided with the board. This situation is especially objectionable, when the board is of the more expensive type, usually including ornate inlaid woodwork and especially carved pegs.

Another objection arises from the fact that at times one of the players will count his newly scored points in the direction opposite to that in which he should be counting, due to confusion existing in his mind as to the direction in which he should be going. Upon the discovery of such a reverse counting, the player realizes that he has penalized himself at least twice the amount of points which he has just scored, which can be disastrous in almost any kind of a game.

A further disadvantage in present types of cribbage boards, and one which is especially objectionable in a hotly contested game, lies in the fact that the players become confused as to whether the individual contestant is pegging on his first trip around the track, or is on his second trip around the track. This situation arises particularly when one player gets a run of exceptionally good hands in the deal, and his opponent obtains a number of exceptionally poor hands. Under these conditions, the first player will oftentimes make one and one-half circuits of the track while his opponent is scoring only about two-thirds of the way up the first street. oftentimes under these conditions a very heated argument has arisen concerning this point, which has been known to break up the game of very enthusiastic players.

An object of my invention is, therefore, to provide a cribbage board from which the pegs or counters cannot be lost.

A further object is to provide a cribbage board upon which it is impossible to peg or count in the wrong direction.

A further object is to provide a cribbage board in combination with an automatic counting device which will show the respective positions of the players as to the number of times they have been around the track.

Another object is to provide a cribbage board which is assembled from a plurality of separately formed pieces, the precision in the final product being obtained by the unique arrangement of tongue and groove joints which position and hold the various parts in their assembled condition.

A further object is to provide a counting device for use on a cribbage board, the counting device being controlled and restricted in its movement by a resilient member, and thereby prevented from overrunning or miscounting.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be found from a consideration of the following specification in connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cribbage board constructed according to my invention with certain of the structure shown broken away,

Fig. 2 is an exploded view in section on the line II-II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the counter mechanism at one end of the board, a portion of the board being broken away to clearly show the structure,

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the counter member which is used in connection with my cribbage board,

Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation showing one form of serration which may be used to prevent reverse pegging, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a different type of serration.

The cribbage board shown in the drawings comprises essentially a pair of endless tracks recessed below the surface of the board, and constituted by a pair of channels having overhanging upper shoulder portions which cooperate with the pegs, or counters, to hold the latter within the track or channels, and to prevent their removal therefrom.

The cribbage board H] has an upper surface l2 which extend completely around the board 10, and an inner central strip Hi. In the wells formed between the portions l2 and I4 are a pair of island members It whose top surfaces are on the same plane as that of the portions I 2 and I4, and which together with the latter define the endless channels I8. The top [2 is further formed with a recess 20 which serves as a starting position or hole, and is shaped to receive the pegs 22. The portions thus far described constitute the outer upper shell of my cribbage board.

The lower portion of the board comprises a base 24, the upper surface of which constitutes a floor 26, the same being supported in elevated position by the downwardly depending flanges 28 and the outwardly extending shoulder portions 38, the latter two of which form a joint to meet with the downwardly extending sides 32 of the top shell of the cribbage board. The joint thus formed may be held in assembled position by a suitable adhesive or other attachment device or material.

The fioor 28 is fashioned with a pair of symmetrically positioned bosses 34 each of which has a plurality of sidewardly extending ears 38 for supporting purposes, as will appear later. Centrally disposed in the top of the boss 34 is the longitudinal channel 38 which is shaped to receive the longitudinal tongue 40 on the island and to position and secure the island [6 with respect to the boss 34., Longitudinally positioned centrally of the face 28 is the upstanding boss 42, formed with a central longitudinal channel 44 shaped to receive the longitudinal tongue 46, thereby to'pcsition and secure the central strip l4 relative to the boss 42 and the base 24. The tongue and groove joints thus formed may be held together by some suitable adhesive or similarly acting material or device.

The floor 26 is formed with a plurality of upstanding ratchet teeth 48, each presenting a camming face 50 and an abutment face 52. The ratchet teeth 48 are formed in groups of 5 for cooperation with the pegs 22, and the scoring stations, as will appear later.

As may be seen from the plan view, the top of the cribbage board is divided into a pair of symmetrical tracks 54 each having separate streets 56. The scoring notches 58 on each of the streets 58 total 30, separated into 6 groups of 5 each, and are formed as slots in the body of the island l6, being separated into groups of 5 by the wider tongues 8-0. It will be appreciated that the tongues 60 individually overlie the ears 36, thereby tending to support the island 16 against displacement in a rotary direction about the longitudinal tongue 48. The ratchet teeth 48 are positioned with their abutting faces 52 approximately even with the forward edges of the scoring notches 58.

To'provide an automatic counting device to show the number of trips around the track 54, I have incorporated a pair of star-wheel discs 62 having four radially extending arms 64, and being mounted for rotative ovement in a horizontal plane on the axles 58. The free rotary movement of the star-wheel discs 82 is resisted by the spring 68 which engages apair of the arms 84, on each of the star-wheel discs 62, and which is supported by the post l8. It will be appreciated, that when two of the arms 64 engage the spring 68 the starwheel disc 62 will be held relatively rigidly; likewise, upon the star-Wheel disc 62 being rotated by a peg 22, the spring 68 will at first resist the rotation, then assist the rotation, and finally stop the rotation, thereby preventing over-running of the star-wheel disc 62. As shown best in Fig. 1, the end of one of the arms 64 of the star-wheel disc 62 projects into the track 54 for engagement by the peg 22.

Each of the star-wheel discs 62 carries, on one of its arms 64, a numeral 1, and on the diametrically opposed arm 64 a numeral 2. In position, only one of the numerals may be seen at a time, through the viewing window 12.

The pegs 22 are formed with any sort of a decorative head 14, a restricted neck 16, and an outwardly extending lower portion I8. The gravity locking pin is received within a vertical aperture 82 in the peg 22 and is free to move vertically therein. It will be appreciated that the head 14 of the peg 22 will project above the top I2, the central strip l4 and the island l6. Likewise, the lower portion 18 will lie within the channel of the track 54, the neck portion 16 being provided for clearance in the restricted space allowed. The gravity locking pin 80, upon movement of the peg 22, will be forced up into the recess 82 by its engagement with the camming face 50 of the teeth 48, and then will drop over the abutment face 52, which will prevent the reverse movement of the peg 22.

An alternative method of constructing the antireverse mechanism may be described a forming a plurality of indentations 84 in the floor 26, the indentations 84 having abutment faces 52', and camming faces 50.

In operation the pegs 22 are first positioned in the hole 20, the star-wheel discs are checked to see that they are both showing the numeral 1, and the game is begun. Upon point being scored by either player, the peg 22 is moved down the street 56 to a point opposite a particular scoring position notch 58 whereupon it is diverted into the notch 58. Upon additional points being scored, the second peg 22 is brought even with the first peg 22 and additional points are scored from that position, the second peg 22 being diverted into one of the slots 58. By reason of the engagement of the gravity locking pin 80 with the abutment faces 52 of the ratchet teeth 48, it will be appreciated that it will be impossible to peg in a rearward direction, and that, therefore, any arguments on this score can be eliminated immediately. It will be likewise appreciated that the non-removable pegs 22 are easily moved to indicate the score attained, but that the same may not become lost.

Upon completing one circuit of the track 54, the first peg 22 to come to the end of the street 56 and turn the corner, will engage one of the arms 84 of the star-wheel disc 62, and by its movement across the end of the track 54, will turn the star-wheel disc Since the numerals are on alternate arms 64 of the star-wheel disc 62, there will then be no numeral showing through the viewing window. When the second of the pegs 22 reaches the end of the street 56 and is passed along the channel toward the starting position, the peg 22 will engage the end of the arm 84 of the star-wheel disc 82, and turn the same another 90, which will bring into sight in the viewing window 12 the numeral 2. This will then be a reliable indicator, and should end the arguments on'the question of how many times each of the individual contestants has been around the track 54.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A cribbage board comprising a body structure defining an endless track, a pair of scoring pegs movable along said track, scoring stations off-set from said track into which the front peg may be moved from said track to permit the back peg to be moved along said track past the front peg and into a forward scoring station, engaging parts on said pegs and body structure for retaining said pegs against removal from said track and scoring stations, ratchet teeth defined in said body, means on said pegs for engaging with said teeth to restrict movement of said pegs along said track in one direction only, the number of said stations provided being a fraction of the number required to complete the game whereby said pegs as a scoring unit traverse said track a plurality of times each game, means for indicating the times said pegs have traversed said track as a scoring unit during any one game to advise the player as to the stage of the game, said means being in the form of a rotatable wheel-like member having spokes disposed in the path of said pegs when moved along said track, engagement between said pegs and spokes upon movement of said pegs along said track partially rotating said member, and indicia associated with the position of every other spoke to indicate the stage of the ame.

2. A cribbage board as defined in claim 1 wherein resilient means are provided to engage with said Wheel-like member to yieldingly restrain the same into the positions it is moved through engagement between said pegs and said spokes.

3. A cribbage board comprising a body structure defining an endless track, a pair of scoring pegs movable along said track, scoring stations off-set from said track into which the front peg may be moved from said track to permit the back peg to be moved along said track past the front peg into a forward scoring station, ratchet teeth defined in said body with a tooth associated with each of said scoring stations, means on said pegs yielding to said teeth upon movement of said pegs in a forward direction but engaging with said teeth to restrict movement of said pegs in a rearward direction whereby said pegs are capable of traversing said track in one direction only, each ratchet tooth associated with each scoring station having a shoulder in line with said scoring station for guiding said pegs from the track into the scoring stations.

HERMAN W. MELLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 332,135 Bogan Dec. 8, 1885 384,707 Nash June 19, 1888 603,514 Schneider May 3, 1898 1,009,383 Coughlin Nov. 21, 1911 1,468,143 Eldridge Sept. 18, 1923 1,843,457 Morse Feb. 2, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 224,781 Germany Dec. 14, 1909 

